Late Night Practice
by Hawkflight7
Summary: Shepard couldn't sleep, so she was up in the training room. It was one of those few times she had someone join her.


**Late Night Practice**

**Summary: Shepard couldn't sleep, so she was up in the training room. It was one of those few times she had someone join her.**

**This... this just appeared in my mind and had to ride-i mean write it *giggle***

She drew in a breath of air slowly, then let it out as her fist went flying forward to hit the punching bag. Shepard had been doing this most of the night, unable to sleep. Her fists connecting with the bag continuously in rapid succession, never missing the mark she had drawn on the bag. The chain would rattle overhead with each hit, making her wonder if it was going to hold or not for the next punch. So far it had held.

Shepard blinked, a drop of sweat that had collected on her eyebrow hit her cheek before rolling down. If she glanced to the side she would see it fall from her chin and hit the floor in the dim light of the workout room from the reflection of the mirror. She didn't though, needing to concentrate on hitting that target, to get it right everytime.

_Don't miss._

Shepard told it to herself all the time. She couldn't miss. If she missed a target a citizen would die, either from a stray shot or the enemy's. If she missed they would get away to terrorize someone else. To pillage colonies, enslave people. If-

With a sudden yell she turned on her side and kicked at the bag, hardly aware of the snap from the chain above as the hook slipped from it's spot. The punching bag kicked up dust from where it landed but she didn't move as the cloud slowly dissipated. She just stood there, breathing heavily, raising a hand to wipe the sweat from her brow, press the heel of her hand to her forehead and shove the memories of Mindoir from her mind.

This was exactly what she couldn't let happen on the field. Getting all worked up over old emotions. Filling her mind with anger so there was no room for rational thought. _It couldn't happen again._ The new mantra started up in her mind as she closed her eyes, slowly uncurling her fingers from the form of fists. Just relax. With a sigh she reached behind her until she felt the bench then sat down, still breathing loudly from the workout.

"You got enough energy to put that back as well?"

Her eyes snapped open for her to blink a few times afterwards to get the sting of sweat out of them. She would be needing a shower after this, a cold one at that. Her body might as well have been on fire with how hot she felt. The whirl of chopping blades above didn't help in the least, if anything it just moved the hot air around the room.

She glanced in the direction of the voice, eyes flitting over a boxing ring, stationary cycles, and a rack filled with weights to land on another N7 trainee. "Yeah," her voice came out in a huff, and she swallowed a moment afterward. Where was her water? Looking back to the bench Shepard leaned over to swat her hand beneath it, fingers curling around a round container before drawing the water bottle from beneath the bench. She flicked the cap open and tilted her back to drink greedily at the last few drops before setting it down with a sigh. "Damn."

"Here," glancing back up she saw Leng had moved across the room and had extended his hand that held a fresh water bottle, condensation rolling down the sides.

"Thanks." she took it from his hand, twisting the cap off to throw into the open garbage can before gulping down half the bottle. Shepard wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before leaning against the wall the bench was pressed against. "What are you doing up?" she asked, gaze flickering back to him, her breath only now coming at an even pace.

"Same as you." he said, glancing around the room. "I thought I would get in some extra practice." Shepard closed her eyes for a moment, nodding her head. She could understand that. "You up for a round?"

She glanced to him, then to the two separate dedicated fighting areas. The boxing ring and at the far end of the room, mats that covered thirty feet of open space. She nodded her head in the latter direction. "Yeah, just give me a minute."

"Thirty seconds." Kai Leng countered before he was making his way to the mats, tugging off a jacket to lay across a bench on the outskirts. Shepard laughed, taking another long swing from the water bottle before setting it down and got up, moving over even as he called to her, "Ten more seconds to get your ass over here Shepard!" She didn't bother stifling her giggle. That's exactly what one of the captains liked to say to the newest recruits, and he was obviously mocking their old trainer for having done so. "Five-"

"Yeah, yeah." she jogged over with a laugh, stopping just short of stepping on the mat to pull a scrunchie from her pocket. Leng was giving her a pointed look as it was past the countdown but she just grinned while gathering her long hair to tie it up behind her in a ponytail. She stepped on the mat just afterwards then, wiping the smile quickly from her face as she settled into a fighting stance. "Come on, then." Lifting a finger she motioned for him to make the first move.

He stood in his own stance for a few seconds and she already knew he was looking for weaknesses in her own. She gave a bounce on the ball of her feet and he was moving at her fast in the next moment, just as she knew he would. With a grin she made to step forward and meet him head-on but turned at the last second, curling her left hand behind her waist where he wouldn't see it before striking across her abdomen to hit him square in the stomach.

Soon their fists were a flurry of blows, of a raised arm blocking a punch only for the other hand to deliver the follow-up.

With him in close quarters she diverged from the usual and swept her leg out, watching with a grin when he drew back quickly. With the chaos calmed for a moment she took in a few steady breaths as they circled eachother before re-initiating contact.

Her blood was pounding, as they exchanged both punches and kicks now, moving in what seemed like circles over the mat. If there was any dance she was good at, it was this. Her punch hit his shoulder, turning his body only slightly as Leng wasn't the sort to be put off his balance, but she could still take advantage of it.

Darting forward she brought her knee up to his gut, another punch coming in at the side. She raised her arm, deflecting his incoming punch with the back of it. Unwilling to break her focus Shepard whirled quickly, carrying the momentum through for her kick to land on his hip.

Leng had let out a grown now and she paused, lowering her leg and regretting it a moment later when he rushed forward, taclking her into the concrete wall just a foot behind her form. Her head was pounding from the force, vision swimming momentarily but she still moved her arms up to cover her face as she saw blurs of movement and felt his fists land on the back of her arms. They were going to be sore tomorrow, that she knew for sure.

Once she had a little wiggle room available she dug her knee up and into his thigh, trying to get back on the offensive. There was something curling into the strands of her hair in the next second and she no time to think it over as the back of her head hit the wall once again. Laughter spilled from her lips as black and red dots raced across her vision.

Had he really just done that? Such a low blow, pulling a chick's hair. Well fine, if he wanted to fight dirty she would to.

Shepard pressed her back firmly into the wall to make sure she wouldn't slide down as she raised her legs quickly, wrapping them around his waist. Her eyes opened just in time to see a look of confusion and surprise register across his features before she pressed off from the wall, hands moving to flatten at her sides to shove away from the concrete.

Gravity did the rest.

They landed with a thud, Kai Leng on his back and Shepard hurried to grab the wrists of his hands in her own. Her legs were still stuck beneath him but she didn't care as she smiled down at him, victorious. "I win." she said, before loosening her grip, about to slide her legs out from under his body when Kai Leng surged up causing the two to roll backwards.

The room had spun for a moment and Shepard blinked, glancing up into Kai Leng's eyes. One of his hands was now wrapped around both of her wrists, the other one planted at the side of her head. She could feel it from the way there was pressure on her mass of hair, holding her head down.

She really should have known he would do that. "Tie?" she offered, trying her best to ignore the compromising position. The way his hips were pressed hard into her own, which was more her fault than his. Her legs were still entwined around him. That reminder just sent a flush to her cheeks, heart pounding faster from the pleasant feeling beginning to grow in the pit of her stomach. Her chest rose and fell quicker now, body tensing as she stared up at him.

Was it just her or had he seemed to move closer in the short amount of time? His face was hovering directly over hers.

"Kai?" her voice had come out soft, but it still seemed to startle him.

The hands holding her down were gone as he got up quickly, his fingers momentairly wrapping around her ankles to move her legs apart so he could get up. Her eyes followed him back across the mat, as he grabbed his jacket and disappeared through the open doorway.

Her legs chose now to lower slowly back onto the mat and she sighed, still gazing at the entrance to B3-Hall, a wave of disappointment settling over her.


End file.
